Glossary Of E-Cig Terms

ADV/All Day Vape: An e-liquid which is said to be ideal to vape all day long.

APV: The term is used as an alternative for more modern electronic cigarettes.

Amps: Short for ampere, a measure of electrical current. E-Cig batteries are measured in milli amh hours (1/1000 of an ampere).

Atomizer: Electronic component that turns the nicotine solution contained within the e-cigarette into vapour. It is also known as a coil.

Bottom Coil Clearomiser (BCC): A clearomiser where the atomiser and heating coil is located at the bottom of the clearomiser. Usually also filled from the bottom end.

Bottom Dual Coil Clearomiser (BDC): A bottom coil clearomiser with two coils. Provides more vapour and a stronger throat hit, but uses up batteries quicker than a single coil clearomiser. Increasingly being replaced by vertical coil cleaomisers.

Bottom Vertical Coil Clearomiser (BVC): A bottom coil clearomiser with a single coil in vertical configuration, allowing improved airflow. Available in clearomisers such as the Aspire Atlantis and Aspire Nautilus Mini.

Bridge: A covering over the atomizer in some coils.

Boxies: Vapers who prefer box mods.

Buck: A DC-DC power converter which steps down voltage while stepping up current.

Cartomiser: The first e-cig devices were made up of a battery with a separate cartridge and atomiser. These evolved into cartomisers, which combined the seperate cartridge and atomiser into a single package.

Carts: Abbreviation of cartridges.

Ceramic coils: A type of coil advertised as having a longer life span and creating more flavour and vaper.

Clearomiser: A combined cartridge and atomiser with clear walls, which allow the user to see how much eliquid remains in the cartridge.

Cigalike: An electronic cigarette that closely resembles a tobacco cigarette.

Coil: A coil is the part of the e-cig that heats e-liquid and turns it into vapour.

Clapton: A type of coil configuration. A clapton coil has a thin wire wrapped around a thicker wire that forms the main coil to offer more surface area to the wick.

Clone: A copy of a branded e-cigarette. Many of the top brands now feature authenticity stickers.

Custom Mod: A mod that has been customised by the user. Not available to purchase off the shelf, for example steam punk mods.

Diacetyl: A harmful compound which has been found in some e-juices, although generally far below levels found in cigarette smoke.

Dipping: Refers to dipping an atomiser into e-juice prior to vaping.

Direct to lung: In contrast to Mouth to Lung vaping, in Direct to Lung vaping the vapour is inhaled to the lung without being held in the mouth first.

Dripping: When liquid is dripped directly onto the coil, usually using a custom built mod.

Drip Shield: Prevents e-juice leaking when using drip tips.

Dry Burn: The effect you get when you heat your coil with no or insufficient e-liquid. Usually done by accident, some vapers do this on purpose in order to remove residue. Can lead to the cotton catching fire.

Dry Hit: The feeling you get when you vape as or after the coil burns out.

Dry Smoking: Done when atomiser is flooded with solution. Remove mouth piece, take out cartridge, replace mouth piece and inhale. Be very careful to avoid damaging the atomiser by overheating it.

Drip tips: Were originally used to refer to a device used to drip several drops of e-liquid directly onto an atomiser. Now sometimes used to refer to the mouthpiece of an electronic cigarette.

Electronic Cigar: Similar to the electronic cigarette but with a cigar style and flavour.

Electronic Cigarette: A cigarette where an atomizer vaporises the nicotine which is then inhaled as vapour as compared to the smoke normally inhaled. Also known as the E-Cigarette, the E-Cig, Electro-fag and even the E-Ciggy.

ENDs: Electronic Nicotine Devices, another term for electronic cigarettes. Frequently used in scientific papers on e-cigarettes. Some vapers like the term as it suggests the END of smoking.

E-Smoking: Smoking with an electronic cigarette. Favour Cigarette: One of the first smokeless cigarettes.

Fins: Raised metal ridges, commonly placed on the drip tip of a tank, designed to dissipate heat. The Aspire Triton is an example of a tank design using fins.

Filling: Often refers to the material used to pack a cartomiser. It is an extension of the wick, and absorbs e-liquid that is supplied to the coil. Can also be called wadding or filler.

Flavour Chaser: A person who priorities flavour from his e-cig.

Flooding: Occurs when e-juice floods into the atomiser.

Hookah pen: Also known as shisha pens. Popular at one time, these were a style of e-cigarette, generally long and thin, and often available with flavours similar to those provided in hookah pens.

Hot spots: On clearomiser coils, refers to a hot spot on the coil which can cause burning or bad taste. Some regulated mods have features to avoid this.

Hybrid: A mechanical mod designed without standard 510 connection. The tank is essentially screwed directly onto the battery. IBVTA: Independent British Vaping Trade Association. A new trade association set up to support the independent vape industry.

Joules: A measure of energy. Can be described as the work required to produce one watt of power for one second.

Kanthal wire: Trademarked name for a family of alloy used in resistance wires.

LED: The light at the end of the cigarette (light emitting diode). This lights up when the user inhales, resembling an analog. Depending on the model, the LED may convey information to the user about the battery, i.e. flashing when the battery is running out or glowing green to show it is fully charged.

LR: Abbreviation for low resistance.

mAh: Milli amp hour (1/1000th of an amp hour)

Mech Mod: (Mechanical Mod) A mechanical mod is a device which has a battery and a switch with no adjustment or protection.

Mod: Originally the word for an electronic cigarette which has been modified into a unique design. Now frequently used to describe mass manufactured box style e-cigarettes.

Mouthpiece: Replaces the butt of an analog.

Mouth to lung: In mouth to lung vaping the vapour is inhaled into the mouth and held there before being drawn into the lung.

Nic Base: A nicotine base designed for mixing with flavours. Typically comes in a pg/vg mix but with no flavours.

Nichrome/Nickel Wire: Nickel Chrome or nichrome wire can be used to measure the temperature of the coil in temperature control mods.

Ohms: A measure of electronic resistance. Used to measure the resistance of heating coils in atomisers.

Organic Cotton: Organic cotton is favoured by many vapers for use in e-cig wicks.

Vape Pen-Style: A particular style of electronic cigarette, known for its resemblance to a ball point pen.

Passthrough: Device that plugs directly into a computer or USB charger so that users can vape without having to worry about recharging their electronic cigarette.

Priming: The process of soaking your new coil prior to use. This reduces the chances of dry burn and burnt out coils and is essential when using more powerful set ups.

Propylene Glycol: A colourless liquid that forms the majority of the solution in the Electronic Cigarette. The liquid has been extensively tested for safety. Personal

Vaporiser (or PV): An alternative name for the electronic cigarette.

RBA: Rebuildable Atomiser

RDA: Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser

Resistance: Refers to the resistance of the coil in the atomiser (measured in Ohms). A lower resistance produces more heat and vapour.

Second Generation E-Cigarettes: Used by scientists to refer to tank systems, with cigalikes being first generation e-cigarettes.

Silica: A type of wicking material that has largely been replaced by cotton and ceramic

Smoke-juice: Another phrase for E-juice.

Smokeless Cigarette: Alternative phrase for electronic cigarette.

Squonking: Refers to the action of the squeezing a bottle of e-liquid which is directly attached to the coil in your mod.

Stealth vaping: Deliberately vaping in a way that is designed to minimise attention. Typically stealth vapers used certain techniques to minimise the amount of visible vaper exhaled and may use smaller, more discreet devices.

Steel Mesh: Used for building wicks.

Sub Ohming: Vaping with a coil with a resistance set below one ohm.

TC (Temperature Control): When you set the temperature you want your atomiser to to run at rather than the voltage or wattage.

Throat Kick/ Throat Hit: The definition seems to vary according to the vaper, but essentially the feeling when the vapor hits your throat.

THR (Tobacco Harm Reduction): Much of the scientific support for the electronic cigarette has come from scientists involved in tobacco harm reduction.

Titanium coils: Alternative to nickel coils. Titanium is stiffer, offers higher resistance and is easier to work with. However, there is some controversy over titanium, with some vapers questioning the safety.

Tobacco Products Directive: Article 21 of the TPD puts into places major restrictions on e-cigs.

Topping: Topping up a cartridge with e-juice. Also known as topping off.

Vape: To inhale vapour from an electronic cigarette.

Vaper: A person who vapes.

Vaping: The habit/pastime of using electronic cigarettes.

Vapeaversary: When you celebrate the day you switched from smoking to vaping.

Vape Porn: Traditionally refers to pictures of e-cigs and e-juice. The proliferation of scantily clad young women in the vape industry may be leading to an evolution of this term.

Vaper’s Tongue: Refers to a loss of taste, from suddenly going off a flavour to losing all taste for flavours.

Vent holes: Designed as a safety feature in batteries, these allow gases to be expelled from the battery.

Venting: When gases are released via the vent holes from an e-cig battery.

Vooping: Vaping on the loo (you can work out the details!)

VG (Vegetable Glycerine): Vegetable glycerine is a clear, colourless, odourless but very sweet liquid used as an alternative to propylene glycol by vapers who mix their own liquid. Some vapers maintain it increases vapour production.

Watt: A measure for units of power. 1 Watt = 1 Joule per second

Wick: A small piece of fabric or cotton which is found in the cartridge. The wick absorbs the e-liquid and holds it until is vaped.